Centerless roll grinding machine with reduced radial variation errors

Abstract

A centerless roll grinding machine includes a lateral support of a V-channel support that is received by a vertical support of a frame and extending horizontally in the first direction to contact a second side of one neck of a work roll. A lower support received by and extending generally upwardly from the frame displaced in the first lateral direction from a geometric center of the neck of the work roll cooperates with the lateral support to provide the V-channel support to hold the work roll for rotation about a longitudinal axis. A lateral support device includes radially spaced bearing pads on the neck in opposition to a grinding wheel. Each pair of bearing pads is pivotally attached to a respective first tier averaging link that is pivotally coupled to a horizontal ram to reduce displacements of the work roll caused by errors in the neck.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A centerless roll grinding machine comprising:
 a frame that extends laterally and longitudinally to be positioned under a generally cylindrical work roll having a neck on each longitudinal end; 
 a grinding wheel assembly comprising a grinding wheel housing received on a first lateral portion of the frame for longitudinal and lateral movement and comprising a grinding wheel presented on a second side of the grinding wheel housing that is opposite to a first side, the frame comprising a vertical support extending from a second lateral portion; 
 a lateral support received by the vertical support of the frame and extending horizontally in a first direction to contact a second side of the neck of the work roll; 
 a lower support received by and extending upwardly at an angle from the frame displaced in a first lateral direction from a geometric center of the neck of the work roll to cooperate with the lateral support to provide a V-channel support to hold the work roll for rotation about a longitudinal axis; and 
 the lateral support comprising a horizontal ram and a lateral support device, the lateral support device comprising at least two pairs of bearing pads that are radially spaced along a side of the neck in opposition to the grinding wheel, each pair of the bearing pads pivotally attached to a respective first tier averaging link that is pivotally coupled to the horizontal ram, at least one pair of second tier averaging links that are interposed between each of the respective first tier averaging links and the horizontal ram, each pair of said first tier averaging links being pivotally attached to a respective said second tier averaging link, and at least one third tier averaging link that is interposed between each of the respective second tier averaging links and the horizontal ram, each pair of said second tier averaging links being pivotally attached to the respective said third tier averaging link, to reduce horizontal displacements of the work roll caused by a geometric error in the neck, and to utilize averaging ability of the bearing pads enabling the work roll to move in a definitive space, wherein the lateral support device comprises eight bearing pads, wherein each of the respective first tier averaging links each comprise two vertical cylindrical pockets and each of the bearing pads comprise a horizontal cylindrical pocket, the lateral support device further comprises for each bearing pad a cross cylinder element having a vertical cylinder and horizontal cylinder fastened together, the vertical cross cylinder being inserted into the respective vertical cylindrical pocket of the respective first tier averaging link and the horizontal cross cylinder being inserted into the horizontal cylindrical pocket of the respective bearing pad, wherein each of the pivotally attached bearing pads are configured to contact the geometric error in the neck one bearing pad at a time. 
 
     
     
       2. The centerless roll grinding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the lower support comprises a lower ram and a lower support device, the lower support device comprising at least one pair of bearing pads that are radially spaced along an underside of the neck in opposition to the weight of the work roll due to gravity, each pair of the bearing pads of the lower support device pivotally attached to an other first tier averaging link of the lower support device and is pivotally coupled to the lower ram to reduce vertical displacements of the work roll caused by the geometric error in the neck. 
     
     
       3. The centerless roll grinding machine of  claim 2 , wherein the lower support device further comprises at least two of the other first tier averaging links, and at least one other second tier averaging link that is interposed between the at least two other first tier averaging links of the lower support device and the lower ram, each pair of the other first tier averaging links of the lower support device being pivotally attached to a respective said other second tier averaging link of the lower support device to further reduce vertical displacements of the work roll caused by the geometric error in the neck.